What's Your Next-Door Neighbor Story?

Goof

We have all had the one weird neighbor. You know the one I’m talking about; they just aren’t all together there. I’ve had my share of these neighbors, from the guy who lived behind us and refused to mow his lawn, to the rednecks that lived across the street. I’m going to tell you about the young man who lived across the hall from me freshman year though.

This young man, we’ll call him Steve, had some serious problems. We he was angered he actually became someone else, who adorned a trench coat and dark sunglasses. What he did one afternoon though still has me thinking four years later.

I lived in an apartment building with 11 other apartments in the building. One blazing-hot spring afternoon the girls on the second floor flicked a cigarette off of their balcony and managed to catch a bush on fire outside of my neighbor’s apartment. The fire alarms immediately went off and the building was vacated. Fire trucks and police cars began showing up, and people were calling their roommates and friends to tell them what was going on. The fire officials and apartment representatives began a walk-through of each apartment. Everyone was standing outside waiting the re-enter their homes, when all of a sudden Steve appeared through is balcony door, headphones and all. Here Steve failed to hear the piercing alarm sounding in his apartment and then emergency light pulsating in his room. He was “rocking out” while writing a paper.

Steve was one-of-a-kind, and so many stories could be told about him. But there is only so much time, and some things just shouldn’t be said about him.

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Have a Next-Door Neighbor Story?

As part of our new webcomic, Next-Door Neighbor, we thought it appropriate to have a little contest. Tell us your best true next-door neighbor story, and the winning tale will be matched with an artist and transformed into a webcomic and included as the final installment of Next-Door Neighbor.

About Next-Door Neighbor

No matter how close or how far, we all live next to someone, and we all have a Next-Door Neighbor story. With that in mind, editor Dean Haspiel asked some of his favorite storytellers and cartoonists to create their favorite NDN stories so we could share them with you.

The Fine Print & Contest Rules

By submitting an entry, you are granting SMITH the right to reprint or republish that entry online or in print, as well as make any necessary edits. See SMITH's terms of service for complete details.

This contest ends September 1, 2008. Prizes are not redeemable for cash and must be accepted as awarded. Winners are decided at the discretion of SMITH judges and all decisions are final. SMITH reserves the right to change the contest rules. Enter as often as you want. SMITH reserves the right to reprint or republish all entries.

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